35.
Background
Rates of molecular evolution in different lineages can vary widely, and some of this variation might be predictable from aspects
of species' biology. Investigating such predictable rate variation can help us to understand the causes of molecular evolution,
and could also help to improve molecular dating methods. Here we present a comprehensive study of the life history correlates
of substitution rate variation across the mammals, comparing results for mitochondrial and nuclear loci, and for synonymous
and non-synonymous sites. We use phylogenetic comparative methods, refined to take into account the special nature of substitution
rate data. Particular attention is paid to the widespread correlations between the components of mammalian life history, which
can complicate the interpretation of results.
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